After dropping the doubles point against Georgia Tech and seeing senior McCall Jones fall in straight sets on Friday night, UCLA’s ITA National Team Indoor Championship hopes were nearly eclipsed by a 0-2 opening round deficit.

By Monday afternoon, the No. 4 Bruins’ star burned brighter than ever in recent memory, as UCLA defeated the No. 3 Duke Blue Devils 4-0 to hoist its first ITA National Team Indoor Championship.

“I’ve been here for four years and haven’t won anything this big. I’m kind of in shock, because it’s such a new team and we’re all just really getting to know each other,” senior Carling Seguso said. “I was really sad going into Indoors, because it’s my last one, but this is the best way to finish off, so I’m really happy.”

Seguso and her fellow returning players lit the way for the doubles teams.

After the No. 12 pair of freshmen Robin Anderson and Skylar Morton fell 2-8 to Duke, the No. 23 tandem of sophomore Courtney Dolehide and junior Pamela Montez secured an 8-4 win that put the doubles point in the hands of Seguso and Jones. UCLA’s lone seniors snatched a 9-7 victory from the Blue Devils, setting the stage for five three-set singles matches.

Freshmen Kaitlin Ray and Chanelle Van Nguyen, neither of whom is ranked in the top 100, both continued their undefeated seasons with a brilliant upset to start singles’ action.

Ray notched a 7-5, 6-4 triumph over No. 35 Monica Turewicz, while Van Nguyen overcame a dropped first set to upend No. 66 Mary Clayton.

Ray came up big against her more heralded opponent by registering the only straight-set win of the day.

“She was playing (at the sixth singles spot), but she’s ranked 35th in the nation. It was a great opportunity, and just like the coaches tell us, it’s great to have the No. 2 seed (in the tournament), but that’s just a number. As long as I focus on myself and execute well, I’d put myself in a position to win,” Ray said.

No. 8 Anderson rebounded from her doubles loss by outshining No. 7 Beatrice Capra 6-2 in the final set for the third straight upset of the day.

Anderson admitted to feeling the pressure of playing in the Bruins’ clinching match, one that saw her avenge a defeat at Capra’s hands this past fall.

“Playing such a big match in National Indoors … it kind of gets to you. The first set, I was being really aggressive and serving well. In the second set, she started playing better, and I played more defensively. I raised my level considerably in the third set and hit a lot of big forehands,” Anderson said.

Seguso acknowledged that the freshmen’s success came on an intimate stage that fosters a heightened intensity compared to regular matches.

“Being indoors, it’s so much louder, and people are going to get in your face. The energy is just amazing,” Seguso said. “(Indoors takes place on) consecutive days, and other than NCAAs, it’s the only tournament that has the best teams. It’s just not the same feeling (as a regular game); everyone’s so up for it.”

According to Ray, handling the raucous environment was made easier by the coaches’ efforts to mentally ready the players before games.

“Having the coaches there to give me a game plan, the preparation was good. The coaches stressed us to take care of our own courts, and in the last match I made it a goal to not look at the scoreboard at all. It really helped me to stay focused.”

Coach Stella Sampras Webster shared Ray’s sentiments, recognizing her fellow coaches’ instrumental role in shaping women’s tennis as a whole.

“A big reason why we’re doing so well is because of our staff. Having Rance Brown and Bill Zaima’s experiences around makes us one of the best (coaching staffs) in the country. They’re a big support, and very loyal to me and the program,” said Sampras Webster, who credited Brown and Zaima with helping her make “tough decisions” on lineups that all players bought into.

Sampras Webster and her staff made it a point to instill in the players’ championship expectations, something UCLA validated by going 4-0 in every round after the Bruins’ opening match of the Indoor Championships.

“All the coaches told us that there is a big difference between being in the finals and winning. We didn’t come to do better than last year. We weren’t satisfied, and the coaches reinforced that,” Dolehide said.

UCLA’s capture of the Indoors title continues a hot start for the 9-0 Bruins, who have radiated dominance by blanking all but three opponents this season.

The manner in which the weekend played out brought up memories of UCLA’s championship season in 2008, and Sampras Webster intends to keep those stars aligned.

“Everything kind of just went our way. It was one of those times, like in 2008, when we shifted lineups and the doubles teams, and it all worked in our favor. They got a taste of what a championship feels like. Now we want them to keep that feeling.”